AoC Mapping resources to help complete the Whole School and College Approach (WSCA) Measurement Toolkit
The AoC Mental Health Charter is closely aligned with the Whole School and College Approach (WSCA) Measurement Toolkit, which is designed to help education settings monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of their whole-organisational approach to mental health and wellbeing.
To make this process straightforward and relevant for Further Education (FE), AoC has developed a set of FE-specific resources that map AoC’s Mental Health Charter Framework directly to both elements of the WSCA Measurement Toolkit: The Implementation Self-Assessment Tool (ISAT) and the Outcomes Self-Assessment Tool (OSAT).
Colleges can access the WSCA Measurement Toolkit at and use the AoC Mental Health Charter resources alongside it to ensure their self-assessment is robust, relevant and meaningful.
The good practice principles of the AoC Mental Health Charter align directly with WSCA self-assessment criteria, enabling colleges to use one clear, FE-specific framework to:
- Reflect on how mental health and wellbeing is planned, delivered and embedded (ISAT)
- Evaluate its impact on students, staff and the wider college community (OSAT)
- Identify proportionate, relevant evidence without unnecessary additional workload
- Avoid a compliance-driven, ‘tick-box’ approach
Together, the AoC Mental Health Charter and WSCA Measurement Toolkit provide a joined-up way for colleges to connect strategy, practice and impact in their approach to mental health and wellbeing.
The WSCA Measurement Toolkit has been developed to help schools and colleges understand:
- Where their whole-organisation approach to mental health is working well
- Which areas may need further development or strengthening
- Whether approaches are meeting the needs of pupils, students, staff and families
- How provision is developing over time.
In a previous Best Practice Review of the WSCA, it was identified that, whilst most MHSTs and educational settings reported using standardised measures for targeted work with individual pupils and students, there was little or no use of measures to systematically monitor and evaluate the impact of the WSCA. This measurement toolkit sets out to provide a resource that all education settings and MHSTs can use to measure and articulate the impact of mental health and wellbeing support in schools and colleges.
The WSCA Measurement Toolkit is designed for schools and colleges.
For colleges, it is recommended that:
- Senior leaders lead or oversee completion of the self-assessments
- Evidence is drawn from across the organisation
- The views of students, staff and governors inform the process
The WSCA Measurement Toolkit was developed with input from pupils, students and education staff.
It was tested with 24 schools across the South, South East and North East of England, ensuring that the tools are accessible, relevant and grounded in practice.
The Implementation Self-Assessment Tool (ISAT)
The Implementation Self-Assessment Tool (ISAT) supports schools and colleges to reflect on what WSCA activity is in place and how it is implemented.
Schools and colleges will be able to see how their WSCA work is developing over time and where further development may be needed.
The ISAT includes 17 implementation criteria, each relating to a key aspect of whole-school or whole-college mental health work.
These include:
Each criterion includes a rating scale from:
- 0 – Little or no whole-school or whole-college activity
- 3 – Fully embedded and integrated practice.
Completing the ISAT allows senior leaders to:
- Understand how consistently WSCA activity is implemented
- Identify strengths and gaps across different areas
- Track progress over time.
The Outcomes Self-Assessment Tool (OSAT)
The OSAT is a self-assessment form which encourages schools and colleges to reflect on the impact of the WSCA work. Schools and colleges will be able to identify the specific outcomes of their work and see how their WSCA work is impacting the wellbeing of pupils, students and staff and whether there are certain aspects that are progressing more than others.
The OSAT includes 12 outcome criteria, each reflecting areas identified by pupils, students and staff as important indicators of impact.
These include:
Each criterion includes a rating scale from:
- 0 – Little or no indicator of positive outcomes
- 3 – The strongest indicator of positive outcomes.
The OSAT supports colleges to:
- Reflect on the outcomes of WSCA activity
- Identify areas of positive impact
- Understand where further development may be needed.
Interpreting the Toolkit in a College Context
Senior leaders are encouraged to interpret ISAT and OSAT criteria through an FE lens and their specific college context.
Positive outcomes may look different across colleges, depending on:
- Learner age and autonomy
- Local context and demographics
- The range of internal provision offered
- Availability and relationship with external support services
- Existing support structures and partnerships
Both qualitative and quantitative evidence can be used and the range of evidence available will vary between colleges.
Using the AoC Mental Health Charter Good Practice Principles and Charter Standards, alongside the toolkit, can help colleges:
- Local context and demographics
- The range of internal provision offered
- Availability and relationship with external support services
- Existing support structures and partnerships
Both qualitative and quantitative evidence can be used and the range of evidence available will vary between colleges.
Using the AoC Mental Health Charter Good Practice Principles and Charter Standards, alongside the toolkit, can help colleges:
- Interpret criteria through an FE lens
- Recognise good practice that may be specific to colleges
- Avoid inappropriate comparisons with school settings.
The Implementation Self Assessment Tool (ISAT) focuses on what is in place and how whole college mental health activity is implemented.
Review the AoC Mental Health Charter guidance and use the AoC ISAT mapping resource to help you complete the Implementation Self-Assessment Tool (ISAT) in a way that reflects your FE context.
1. Start with the ISAT criterion
For each ISAT area, use the mapping resource to identify the relevant AoC Mental Health Charter Good Practice Principles. This helps translate WSCA expectations into a college context.
2. Identify existing evidence
Use the Charter principles to draw on what is already in place, such as:
- strategies and action plans
- staff training and development
- student voice and engagement
- governance oversight
- policies, procedures and referral pathways
3. Agree a confident rating
Use the Charter principles to judge how embedded practice is across the whole college and agree an appropriate ISAT score (0–3).
Ensure a whole-college approach is used in the reflection and rating from senior leaders, curriculum teams, student services, business support, estates management, staff and student voice.
4. Use the results to improve
ISAT findings can be used to identify strengths and gaps, inform Mental Health Charter action planning, and support strategic discussions with governors and senior leaders.
The Outcomes Self Assessment Tool (OSAT) focuses on the impact of a whole college approach to mental health and wellbeing.
Review the AoC Mental Health Charter guidance and use AoC’s OSAT mapping resource to help you complete the Outcomes Self-Assessment Tool (OSAT) in a way that reflects your FE context.
1. Start with the OSAT outcome
For each OSAT area, use the mapping resource to identify the relevant AoC Mental Health Charter Good Practice Principles. This helps frame outcomes in a way that reflects college learners and provision.
2. Define what ‘positive impact’ looks like
Use the Charter principles to consider what meaningful outcomes look like in your college, recognising learner age, autonomy, diversity and local context.
3. Identify evidence of impact
Use the mapping to draw on appropriate evidence, such as:
- student feedback or surveys
- case studies or lived experience
- help-seeking or referral patterns
- staff confidence measures
- engagement, attendance or retention data (where relevant)
4. Judge outcomes proportionately
The Charter helps ensure outcomes are interpreted fairly, recognising FE-specific strengths and avoiding negative judgements where impact looks different from school settings.
5. Use the results to strengthen strategy
OSAT findings can be used to evidence the impact of Mental Health Charter activity, inform planning and support continuous improvement.
Using the Results
The WSCA Measurement Toolkit is most effective when used as part of ongoing improvement.
Senior leaders can use findings from the ISAT and OSAT to:
Inform strategic planning and decision-making
- Support strategic discussions with governors and senior teams
- Support Mental Health Charter engagement and action planning
- Track progress year on year
- Strengthen consistency across policy and practice
- Demonstrate commitment to staff and student wellbeing
When aligned, the AoC Mental Health Charter and WSCA Measurement Toolkit support a strategic approach to whole college mental health and wellbeing, strengthening consistency between policy, practice and lived experience.
Accessing the Toolkit
Colleges can access and complete the WSCA Measurement Toolkit here. Colleges can access the AoC Mental Health Charter Guidance here.